Recommended by John Busser

02.20.25 - With tongue firmly in cheek, Adam Richter has fun with creating a noir mystery AND art heist as we follow Janitor /Sleuth/Possible Docent Linus try to crack the case before the real thief gets away with the goods. The characters are a hoot, and the script has some funny exchanges. Give it a read.

02.18.25 - Wow, what a gut punch. Seeing the decline not only of Grandma Olive but daughter Lisa's reserve is a tough watch but an important one to see. We sometimes forget the toll taken on the caregivers in a family. Deb Cole has written a vivid portrait of the inevitable downward slide of a once vibrant family. Luckily, we also get young Emily, providing a lifeline of sorts and, as she puts it "offering a little grace" to help keep her mother afloat in this rough sea. Heartfelt and hopeful.

02.18.25 - Amazing how strong our faith seems to be when things are going well, but how easy it is to upset the applecart with just a little interference from the outside. Faith can be more a precarious perch than a strong foundation, and Steve Martin shows us this ugly truth with his character Hugh. We all have doubt, and doubt can shatter even the most rock-solid faith. Sobering stuff.

02.18.25 - Holy cow! What a punch-in-the-face-but-boy-it-feels-good 4 minutes from Lindsay Partain. Her imagery is incredibly visceral. The body-shaming this character does to herself belies a strength of character we see later on. This is a woman who hilariously is wrestling her self-esteem to the ground and saying "not today, bee-yotch!" I loved it.

02.18.25 - Vivian Lermond has always been a positive force with her writing and this one minute monologue is a perfect example. The cyclical nature of life let's us know that pain and pleasure are all part of the same trip we take. One ends, another begins, and then it all starts again. Embrace that cycle. Even the bad, because the pain just makes the pleasure all that more enjoyable.

02.18.25 - I read The Bench and was struck by how vivid a picture it painted for me of the start of something wonderful. Although the ending is always going to be different, that start will leave a lasting impression. That picture never changes. It's a nice sentiment to see something at it's origin and wondering how full of potential that start is.

02.18.25 - I had to chuckle at this monologue from David Lipschutz since, not only is this bear-related talk suddenly going down a weird Mandela-Effect rabbit hole, but I swear I thought his name was Lipschitz, not Lipschutz. We're all affected!

02.18.25 - Life is all about moments. Some are beautiful, evocative reminders of how special life truly is. Others are ugly and horrific and, while not to be forgotten, instill in us even more the idea that life is something to be revered. Rachael Carnes' poetic nod to moments is lovely. I'd love to see this performed for an audience. It deserves to be.

02.17.25 - Wow! I love a good noir mystery and I thought this would fit the bill nicely. But Chris Soucy doesn't do anything the expected way. I LOVED the twist here at the end, mostly because it opens up so many possibilities. This is a terrific play that would probably pull the rug out from under them. That would be great to see.

02.16.25 - Hey, you got your noir mystery in my bee-pun jokes. No, you got your bee-pun jokes all over my noir mystery. Two great tastes that make great comedy together. Kurt Olson had me laughing at the meta breaking-the-4th-wall he did throughout as well. A fun 10 minutes.